


This Isn't a Video Game

by The_Sunflower_Seed



Category: Kholat, Kholat Syahkl, markiplier - Fandom
Genre: Anxiety Attacks, Eventual Romance, Might be mainly fluff, Reader-Insert, Slow Build, We shall see in the future
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-15
Updated: 2017-03-24
Packaged: 2018-04-04 11:11:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,743
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4135305
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Sunflower_Seed/pseuds/The_Sunflower_Seed
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Your friend drags you on a trip to Kholat and who do you run into? Markiplier, the famous Youtuber. You try to stick this out for your friend but when something is stalking the three of you, will you be able to stick around?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Flying the Coop

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys, I want to try this out and see how this works. Leave your comments for your opinion on this.
> 
> (Y/N) = Your Name  
> (F/N) = Friend Name  
> (H/C) = Hair Color  
> (E/C) = Eye Color  
> (S/C) = Skin Color  
> (C) = Color

Damn, it was cold! You shivered heavily in your winter gear, feeling the cold bite of the Russian air eat your warmth away. Looks like nobody was truly lying about how cold it was. You knew Russia was frigid but not this frigid! It was so cold, it hurt to breathe! The town you were in was a name you couldn’t pronounce nor hear right because you may have good hearing but your brain may interpret it a different way. This problem has been with you since childhood and it wasn’t pleasant to get picked on for this little set back but it’s something you had to deal with.

The main reason you’re here is because of Markiplier. He didn’t really invite anyone but your friend who is absolutely obsessed with him managed to convince you to join her as she “followed” (more like stalked) Markiplier to Russia. If you recalled from one of his videos he had published, that one of his life goals is to backpack across the Russian wilderness.

With a soft sigh, you glanced behind you to see your friend consulting a Russian man for directions to Kholat Syahkl. He seemed refusing to answer the question and you wouldn’t blame him. You heard about the case of the nine kids who went up there and never came back. When the rescue team found them, their reports were very bizarre including blunt force trauma to the head although there was no struggle.

Thinking about it made you tremble with fear with an uncomfortable shiver escaping from your body. This was going to be one hell of a time! Finally your friend turned away with a disappointed huff. She was a naturally beautiful girl with (s/c), long (h/c), and eyes that were filled with adventure and ambition. Her (e/c) eyes flashed in anger though she softly smiled at you and walked towards you, putting a mittened hand on your shoulder in comfort. She wore mainly (c) colors, a trademark of her if you will. Should be easy to spot her in the white snow. You wouldn’t be easy to find since you wore white gear.

“Don’t worry,” (F/N) smiled, staring at you with her starry eyes, “I bet there’s nothing up on that mountain anymore. Besides, didn’t an official say it might’ve been radiation?”

“They did say that,” you replied, shrugging off (F/N) hand and walking over to a tree to sit down at. “But remember it can take centuries before radiation can truly disappear including buried kinds.” Plopping in the snow, you pulled your knees to your chest and rested your head on your knees. An anxiety attack was starting. Your heart was beating rapidly, your breath was getting shorter, and you felt sick. Panic coursed through your veins as you reevaluated this situation. You were in a different country on the other hemisphere of the earth, you are travelling with your best friend to get a guy who barely knows you two existed, and now you are following him up into a mountain where some kids pretty much died from a mysterious force.

Your friend huffed and sat next to you, getting into position of comforting you. It was a dick thing to say but (F/N) wasn’t a comforter when it came to you having panic attacks. The only time she does this is when…

“Hey, is everything okay?” There it was the deep friendly voice.

Mark Fischbach otherwise known as Markiplier.

“No, I think my friend is having an anxiety attack. We were going to go up to Kholat but she started overthinking this and went into a panic.” She wasn’t wrong but you didn’t like it when she used you for image uses. Shuffling followed and a heavy presence sat to your right while your friend stayed on your left.

It was hard to get your breath back to their regular pattern. You took heavy breaths in and out, trying to even it out with all your might. You’ve got to calm down; after all this was for (F/N), she wanted to backpack with Markiplier.

“Hey, what’s your guy’s name?”

“I’m (F/N) and this is (Y/N).”

“Nice to meet you two.”

“It’s nice to finally meet you Markipoo.”

“Uh, I prefer Markimoo.” You heard a slight shift from Mark and a hand pressed against your shoulder.

“Hey, if it’ll make you feel any better, I’m kind of scared to be up there too.”

It didn’t help but by this point, you felt a lot better. You just needed to pull yourself together. You lifted your head and turned to Mark, flashing him a tiny smile.

“Thanks. At least I don’t feel alone on this.” He smiled back and stood up before offering his hand up for you to take. A light blush crossed your cheeks as you took the offer. You couldn’t help it, Mark was extremely handsome. Your friend stood up as well and slung her heavy pack onto her back and pointed into the forest.

“Come on! Let’s go!” Mark was behind her and he was carrying…wait a minute…

Wasn’t that your backpack he was carrying?

The Youtuber smiled and tilted his head to follow him. Dumbfounded, you followed him and (F/N) into the woods for the journey of a lifetime. Your friend soon dropped back a bit to start chatting up a conversation with Mark. They started chatting about his personal life, Youtube life, and any kind of information she could sink her teeth into about her celebrity crush. You kept quiet, not wanting to be rude and disturb your friend’s plan. You noticed Mark was wearing dark winter gear with a pink moustache patch on his jacket. You giggled at the logo and noticed he was kind of hunching over with both of your gear.

Poor guy. You didn’t want him to carry that! It was probably giving him back problems. You reached out and tugged on his jacket sleeve.

“Hey Mark?” You asked squeaked, trying to get him to notice you for a second. It seemed to work as he turned his head and your friend frowned thinking you were trying to sabotage her mission, you quickly asked, “Can I have my pack now? I think I can carry it.”

“Yeah of course.” He paused and got it off his back, giving it back to you. You swung it on your back and were going to continue walking when the three of you reached a fork in the road. To the left was bright, clean, airy, and nothing obscuring the sunlight. The one on the right on the other hand was dark, spooky, and the trees crowded in at an angle to make it creepy. You tried your best not to make a scared noise at the display since if the map was right-

“We need to go to the right.” (F/N) declared, walking forward into the creepy forest. You really did not want to do this! How did she even talk you into this? Mark walked up beside you, nudging you forward.

“Don’t worry, I promise nothing will happen to you.”

You wanted to argue but your friend was waiting at the mouth of a cave a mile ahead. Swallowing your fear, you trudged on, feeling dread fill your limbs. Mark followed close by. It was silent. You couldn’t find anything to distract you from that scary cave lying up ahead.

Closing in on it, the cave looked much better from a distance. Cold dark rocks had sharp icicles that dared you to enter. A wind blew into the cave, creating a hollowed groan. Oh god you’re going to die!! (F/N), you, and Mark walked in, keeping a line instead of single file since you don’t know what’d happen next.

A couple rocks crackled under your feet. That’s strange, you didn’t see any pebbles.

CRACK THOOM!

The floor disappeared from under your feet, making you tumble down, until a thump followed by other thumps. Your head connected with the snowy ground, the blow not hard to your skull though unpleasant for your brain as it rattled in its bony prison.

“Oh Marky fell down!” (F/N) quoted with a giggle. You turned your head to find your friend brushing snow off her while Mark was still on the ground, face buried in the snow. A muffled sentence came from Mark and he stood up. You did the same, grabbing onto the side of the cave for support. This was going to be an interesting trip.

You scrambled out of the cave, some kind of fear gripping your heart. It constricted and squeezed to the point of painful.

“Hey (Y/N)! Come back!” The voice was lost to the wind, you running head first into the blizzard. You abandoned all caution, hearing a voice talking to you.

“ _I felt it tearing out of my soul. I was for a while no one._ ” You tried to ignore it and finally after running, you found a small tent with a fire outside. Some people were kind enough to leave that for travelers. In this case, this is what you needed. You climbed inside and you shivered with fear.

“ _I am right behind you_.”


	2. First Obstacle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oh great your night just got better!...NOT!!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the delay. Had emotional, physical, and work issues. I made it up to you guys by writing this six page chapter. Have a nice day!  
> (Y/N) = Your Name  
> (F/N) = Friend Name  
> (Y/S) = Your State

It hurt. You were in full blown anxiety attack: chest hurting, heart pounding hard, sweating uncontrollably, and you were blind with panic. That voice. Who did that belong to? And why could you only hear it? For now you laid in the tent, backpack still on your back. It wasn’t easy to calm yourself especially after a peculiar event. Usually it was a horror movie that (F/N) managed to drag you to. Those terrified you and you tried to explain to your friend that you get attacks from those. Theaters were the worst out of all the horror experiences. The loud noise, the big events on the huge screen, and surrounded by a huge crowd of people who trapped you in your seat and you are nowhere near an exit.

Feeling your anxiety heighten, you curled into a ball and tightly closed your eyes. This was probably your anxiety visions again. Although there was no such thing as anxiety visions. You definitely hoped you weren’t crazy. It would not be good at all it’d make you feel worse about your life. You took in breaths at a rapid pace; you tried to take in deep breaths. It hurt from your pounding heart and chest pains but you pursued it, trying your best. You were happy you were in a cold area so your body didn’t overheat.

The wind softly died to a light breeze and it was relaxing. You probably fell asleep after a while. It was hard to tell when you had your eyes shut the whole time. You woke up to somebody entering the tent. Your eyes snapped open and you heaved yourself upwards, conking your head against Mark’s.

“Ow!” Mark covered his forehead with a mittened hand and rubbed at the head-butt. You mimicked him as well, misjudging where the sounds of his footsteps were. You shouldn’t have panicked since it was you, (F/N) and Mark on this trip. Everybody was too scared to do something like this.

“Sorry. Didn’t mean to do that.”

“Nah it’s okay.” Mark laughed, sitting next to you. He was obviously close, his arm brushing against yours. You shouldn’t have been affected by a simple position but there was heat in your cheeks and you glanced to the other side of the tent trying to ignore him. You didn’t want to ignore him but this was your friend who wanted to win him over. You at least respected her enough to let her try winning Markiplier over.

(F/N) came in shortly, brushing some soft snow off onto the ground.

“Geez (Y/N), what was that all about? You suddenly take off; screaming about some kind of voice.” Did you scream about the voice? It was hard to remember. You definitely hope you weren’t crazy.

Markiplier frowned at (F/N) before looking at you.

“This sounds like Kholat all over again.”

“Isn’t that the horror game you played with the Russian wilderness with demons and such?”

Your heart started pounding hard again when Mark nodded, grabbing the map, compass, and journal on the floor of the tent. It was a relief you didn’t destroy it with the snow that had clung onto you with the blizzard and melting in the tent. He paged through the journal first, snapped it shut, and passed it to (F/N) before grabbing the map and cursing. Looking at you two, he muttered, “I don’t know how but the events of the video game are somehow bleeding into this reality.”

“Maybe the developers did a lucky guess on the events and now we’re in some kind of weird dimension comparison?” You were awkward with the sentence, not knowing how to really explain your thoughts. (F/N) chuckled softly.

“As if! That sounds ridiculous! There is no way we could be in that game!”

“Think about it though,” Mark started, taking a quick peek outside before withdrawing back inside, “the beginning of the game you go through a village and through a creepy forest right?” You nod. That was true and your friend didn’t really want to watch Kholat but you actually watched the series trying to get over your fear of horror games. It didn’t exactly work but Mark and his commentary helped a lot. “Well the next thing was you fell down a hole and a voice is talking to you the whole time. Maybe we,” Mark gestured to himself and your friend, making you nervously gulp down your fear, “were talking so much that we didn’t hear the voice but (Y/N) did. The next thing is we come to a tent and the first event happens.”

“What’s the first event?” (F/N) watched only the beginning of Kholat but she stopped after Mark dropped into the hole. You muttered, “Some kind of stone formation picking up and dropping along with a comet.”

“Which is triggered by picking up a journal page.”

Your friend looked at the journal she was presently holding and paged through it.

“So do we leave right away? Or rest until we feel ready to backpack again?”

“Let’s try and figure out a route before then. I don’t want to run in unprepared.” He laid the map out onto the cool ground and Mark bent over, looking at the possible routes. Your friend joined him, chatting with him and laughing. You wish you could have the guts to do so but the anxiety wall kind of blocked the interaction.

Mark turned to you, beaming a soft smile at you.

“You can join in. I don’t bite.” You felt ease settle over you and you joined into the planning, Mark mapping out general areas of safe tents. He made a route in the order of the coordinates.

“There might be some detours, depending on the severity of the situations at present.” Mark resounded, tucking the map into his backpack along with the compass. He and your friend didn’t notice that the compass was spinning its needle rapidly. You all got up and Mark blocked the way, turning to you and your friend.

“The most important advice is to stick together. Don’t separate because that’s how you get yourselves killed in horror video games and horror movies. Alright?”

He seemed serious yet a little playful at that statement. You understood perfectly, hoping to God you don’t get spooked enough to run off. That would be a death sentence. You and your friend looked to one another before turning to the Youtuber and nodding. Like the gentleman he was, Mark held open the tent flap for the both of you. (F/N) went out first, putting on her bravest face. You were second out and Mark followed.

_Have you ever tried to hold onto your humanity?_

There it was again, the voice!

_When others convinced you of being no more than a subject, an object, which they can bend to their will._

You quaked in your boots, the voice a little bit louder now that there was no blizzard. Your friend and Mark were spinning their heads trying to identify the voice. Looks like they could hear it too.

_When they told you that you are a monster that deserves punishment._

Those words. They seem to strike something deep within you. It was strange to hear that and mean something to you. Were you really a monster?

_And you could really not remember your sins._

That didn’t strike anything. Mark was contemplating a thought in his head hard enough for it to reflect. He must’ve realized what happened next because he grabbed your friend and you towards the tent before spinning back to the wilderness and putting his arms up to prevent you and your friend from passing.

_When they took away your loved ones leaving you to rot in the dark._

This was getting extremely creepy. Your friend might not get creeped out easily but you were definitely not up for this! You must’ve made a noise since Mark turned his head and gave you a smile. It wasn’t much reassurance especially with the crunching of snow coming towards you.

_The problem is that in their darkness you have never been alone._

Orange footprints appeared in the snow, they passed your tent and went down the hill towards the stones covered in snow. Those were the pillars of death and where the first page was sitting, waiting to be picked up. Mark slowly let his arms down and your friend ran over, clinging to his arm.

“What was that?” She whispered, trying to sound scared. If only she was a little bit quieter with her voice. She would’ve accomplished it. Mark smiled and looked at the footsteps.

“Our first objective.”

Mark and your friend walked towards the set of glowing orange footprints. There was something behind you. It was a presence. Slowly, you turned to find an apparition in gold. No physical details yet a solid outline of a hiker backpacking across the Russian wilderness. You stood there frozen for a couple minutes looking at him and him looking back at you. He raised his hand in greeting before disappearing into golden dust, being carried off by the wind.

“(Y/N)! Come on we don’t have time to stare at nothing!” You looked to find Mark and (F/N) already half way down the mountain. You looked back wondering if the apparition will come back. No such luck. You turned and ran towards your friend and Mark, wondering if that was a friendly ghost or a possible enemy.

Mark had his flashlight out, letting it roam over the landscape. Your friend stopped as you caught up.

“Hey (Y/N) can you carry this journal? I’m afraid I might lose it if I keep it with me.”

“Yeah sure.” You took it from her hands, happy to be holding something important. It was a weird feeling but a pleasant one none the less. You continued downwards constantly looking over the landscape for any glowing demons. You reached the pillars to find a deep pit that glowed a bright red. Indeed inside was a page. Before you could go in (since you knew your friend was going to volunteer you to grab the page because of the journal,) Mark actually ran in and grabbed it like a kid.

“This is a summary about a man who overlooked the investigation and found the bodies in weird conditions.” He exclaimed, climbing out of the deep pit and giving you the journal page. With deft precision, you tucked the page securely into the journal and closed it. You put the journal away in your jacket for safe keeping.

The earth shook and there were symbols carved onto the pillars that protected the pit. Whispers in a foreign tongue whisked through the air as the four pillars rose high into the air. Your friend was immensely interested, staying rooted to the spot. You knew what happened next and it was going to be an instant death sentence if you didn’t get the hell out of there!

“Come on (F/N)! We got to get out of here!” You implored, grabbing her jacket sleeve and pulled with all your might. (F/N) didn’t pay any notice, she didn’t even budge!

“Please we have to go! We’ll die here!”

“No we won’t! Stop being a baby and watch, it won’t hurt us!” She snapped, not even looking at you. You tried your best at persuading her to leave along with physically pulling her out of the pit. You noticed how high the pillars got and you were frozen with fear. This was it.

You weren’t going to make it out of here. You had spent too much time trying to convince (F/N) to get her out than to save yourself. You had to try and get out at least. With heavy lead in your throat, you dashed out of the deep pit. The whispers stopped and huge shadows descended onto you.

This was it.

The end of-

An arm looped around your waist and you went flying forward with another body, feeling the stone pillars descend on the pit and the comet smash into the pit. The force of the pillars sent you tumbling down into the snow before you rolled into a boulder. Skull connecting to boulder rattled your skull again. You were completely disoriented with your surroundings. A yell, a cry sounded through the air, desperate.

“(Y/N)!? (Y/N)!?” You left your head fall to the left where there stood the gold backpacker again and Mark was rushing towards you. It felt surreal. Everything did. He crouched in front of you, wiping something liquidly off your head. Was that a tender touch? You couldn’t tell.

You shoo your head and stood, trying to ignore everything that happened especially with your friend. The golden figure dashed off. Mark grabbed your hand, having you chase after the golden figure.

“He’s a guide of some sort.” You felt yourself shift back into reality, feeling the pain, and feeling fatigued. You were huffing and puffing until Mark stopped, huffing and puffing as well.

“We-need to follow him.”

“I know that.”

_I have chosen you both._

“Not again.” You groaned, collapsing in the snow bank. The chill was helping you calm down and Mark looked wildly around again.

_You two are remarkable. Just like me._

That got you back on your feet. You definitely want to run back home at this point. Mark started off in a new direction, beckoning to join you as well. You followed him silently, feeling the words the mysterious voice sink into your mind.

_But you are losing your minds, my friends._

“Tell me something I don’t know.” You bitterly mutter, adjusting the bag on your back. Markiplier looked to you with a questioning gaze. You didn’t meet his in fear your facial expression will give away that you felt torn up inside from the death of your friend, your fear, anxiety, and a maelstrom of various emotions coming out of this experience.

_You’re both slipping slowly into the abyss and there is no one to give you a hand._

_And at the bottom, I am the only one waiting for you._

That definitely freaked you out. Who was waiting for you? Or more importantly what? Will it be an alien? Demon? Spirit? The worst scenarios danced a jig in your mind.

You hiked at least a few miles of landscape, having to whip out your flashlight when it seriously got dark in the mountains. The light beamed off various rock formations as silence was the temporary guest until, “You okay?”

“Huh?” You flashed the light at Markiplier and he flashed his light up ahead.

“I’m asking if you’re okay. I mean your friend died and now we are stuck in some horror game dimension thingy. Actually, better question: how are you holding up?”

“Terribly. I am not built for this.”

“Weren’t expecting a horror game like scenario?”

“Yup.”

Soon after trekking through various caves and a couple of hills, you arrived at a frozen lake. And guess who was waiting for you there?

The golden hiker.

The scenery got more sinister. Across the frozen lake was a bunch of torches leading the way out of this hellhole. You and Mark crossed the lake carefully, trying not to slip and fall. You should’ve known that was coming and use the ice skating technique. It wasn’t triggered until you reach the golden apparition that you thought of it.

“I totally could’ve ice skated over here.”

“Well so could I but hey at least we didn’t get stabbed in the butt by the butt stabber.”

“But I thought he was a real person.”

“Um…it’s his cousin that’s made of ice that could’ve butt stabbed us.” He chuckled. You couldn’t help but chuckle too. It was nice. At least you weren’t alone. Mark was here and he made you feel happy.

_You know, at the beginning I wanted to make things right._

“Well why didn’t you?” Mark asked aloud. There was no answer as the monologue continued.

_I believed God itself touched me._

You found a rope bridge leading from the frozen lake to the other side of a cliff. You slid towards the bridge, yet keeping in step with Mark so you two didn’t get separated.

_That I have received a chance, a compensation for the evil that was brought upon me._

_Then I understood that it is not God, or good or restitution._

You both crossed without incident, looking at the makeshift path up the mountain.

_Just a tool of revenge._

“Why don’t you pep up and ooh! Look at the lovely bone sculpture things!” You let a tiny giggle escape you as you trailed behind the Youtuber. He giggled at his own joke and as you reached the top, the voice said, _Are you coming to me?_

“I don’t know you!” Mark yelled in a joking matter. It got a mix reaction from yu. A gasp of horror and a gaggle of laughter. A weird noise that Mark raised his eyebrow at you.

“What the fuck was that?”

“Sorry,” you apologized quickly, “I was scared at the comment the voice made but your reply made me laugh.” You thought he’d be angry with you, instead Mark laughed and held out his hand for you.

“Nah don’t worry about me so much. I like people. I don’t hate them, especially you. You’re too cute to be mad at.” Your cheeks flushed red at that comment.

The Youtuber Markiplier thinks a girl with social problems is cute? You kind of relaxed at the thought and reply, continuing on.

You crossed a tree over a cliff and found the golden figure. An avalanche of boulders happened as the figure disappeared. You didn’t cross and waited. The boulders will stop in a minute anyways. Mark did the same except this time, he talked to you about your life.

“Since I figure you know a lot about me via me over Youtube. Tell me about yourself.”

“Well I grew up in (Y/S) and I’m just you know the average loner really. Don’t have much friends and my escape is the internet.”

“I can see that.” You both crossed finding yourself in a cave. The compass pointed east and west. There was a high pitched whisper in the air. You and Mark froze in your tracks.

**HISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!**

You are not alone in this cave.


	3. Going in Circles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (F/N) = Friend's Name  
> (Y/N) = Your Name

Startled, Mark flashed the flashlight around in great panic, noises of panic and surprise bubbling from his lips. The flashlight landed on a wisp of air, materializing into a horrible creature composed of fire and stone. The thing hissed again, its bony arm and claw like appendages slashing at you!

“This way!” Mark grabbed your arm in a vice like grip, pulling you through an archway of icicles. The creature hissed more but didn’t seem interested in pursuing you guys. Maybe it was woken from its nap? Or you were trespassing and it was protecting its home? These were the only optimistic questions you could ask yourself, the negative questions you didn’t want to dwell on.

“Hey look!” Mark pointed to another tree being made as a makeshift bridge against the gorge. These seem awfully convenient, “It seemed precarious and lovely to – Oh!” He hopped across the bridge like a bunny eager to explore, while you were left on the other side. He pointed to the coordinates etched into the side of the gorge. “We’re just a little bit away from where we need to be!”

“And that is?” You croaked out, putting an extra step between yourself and the bridge. You weren’t going to cross this thing! Your voice made Mark realize you were still on the other side. Words failed Mark as he probably saw the look of fear in your eyes. Yes, you feared heights, especially when the bridge is made of a skinny dead tree and you couldn’t see to the bottom of the crevice. Your heart is now at a constant pitter-patter hinging between panic attack and adrenaline rush.

“(Y/N),” a soft voice from Mark made you look at him, the Youtuber steadily walked back onto the bridge, both hands outstretched, “keep looking at me and come closer.” A few hesitant breath’s (along with a hiss behind you), made you slowly walk forward. You put one foot on the branch and as you were about to tilt your eyes downward, “Hey! Don’t look down!” Your focus snapped back to Mark; he took another step forward, his voice lowered, “Keep your eyes on me.” You locked your eyes onto Mark’s dark eyes, walking forwards with caution, arms spread out to maintain your balance. The wicked wind wasn’t helping as it whipped and thrashed like a wild animal trying to get off its leash. It bit and stung your eyes, tears threatening to spill at how damn cold it was. It felt like an eternity later before you were close to Mark. His hands were still open, waiting for you to grab them. As slow as you could will your body to muster, you took down your arms and let your white gloved hands be grabbed by Mark’s dark blue mittens.

“I got you.” His voice was calm and steady as he slowly backtracked off the bridge and onto the solid ground, tugging you along with him. Mark smiled, “That wasn’t so bad, was it?” You shook your head. It wasn’t as bad as you imagined, albeit you imagined you’d be blown into the crevice and never seen again. A rustle drew your attention back to Mark, compass in one hand and the map in the other. “Now if I’m correct, the compass said we need to be just over there…No wait! There was another path leading out of the cave!”

GOD NO!! You both got out of the cave and spent enough time trying to go over the bridge only to realize there was another way out! You didn’t know which emotion took you over more: fear or anger. Mark found the fork in the road and turned left, you trailing after him. He jumped on top of a log and looked down before jumping off again.

“Whoops! I was about to jump down there! That would have been instant death and that wouldn’t be a good idea!”

“Yeah, not a good idea Mark.”

“Oh, in the game I realized the golden hiker was Sean Bean who’s been killed so he’s not going to die no matter what we do!”

“So, the golden hiker is an enemy?”

“I'm not sure. But, those pages are pretty important too.” You look around and noticed while you two were talking, you’ve stumbled into the same damn cave again. Mark turned to his immediate right and clambered up the slope, back into the dark snowy scenery before dropping back down.

“Is there another way out of this cave? Or am I hallucinating?” He looked up and you followed his eyesight to see a fire crackling on the other side of the wall. Did a demon start that fire? And if it did, why? Demons don’t have the need for warmth, do they? You weren’t sure but something told you, you were going to go find out.

“We’re going to have to circle around the mountain because for some reason we’re at the base of the mountain and we need to go up and around! Got it! Got it! Got it!” Mark’s grip was fast and filled with strength that could rival Hercules as he dashed, you being forced to keep up. Snow flew up between you two and your eyes were filled with terror as Mark practically jumped over the bridge you were stuck on for a bit. He gave you no chance to back out, having you leap with him to the other side and up to the right fork on the trail.

“When I see bright flashing lights, we need to freaking run!” Another fork in the road and Mark pulled his compass back out. There were two paths, one to the left which led to a stark valley and the right where it looked as though the steps were carved out of the face of the mountain, covered with ice and snow. Knowing Mark, you were probably going to the right. He let go of your arm as you both hiked up the mountain, no noise between you two except for the whistling of the wind. The more you guys hiked upwards, the more the mountains looked like a rib cage. Dread washed over you like the snow drifting from the somewhat tamed blizzard. The pack on your back was heavy now, most of your energy zapped from running constantly out of harm’s way. You had to take it though, you didn’t know where these creatures might be and you haven’t seen a campsite since you have started. A cave is out of the question since those might be the natural habitat of the things trying to kill you.

“Oh hey!” You peeked from behind Mark to find the golden hiker standing there waiting for the both of you.

_Where are you?_

That was a strange question. You were right there in front of it. Mark though had to make a joke out of it, “I’m home or,” he made his voice lower and creepy as he slowed his steps, “sneaking up on you. Who’s behind who now?” Hey wait, it did look like the hiker had his back to you guys.

“Whoa, that’s not normal!” The golden hiker disappeared and in the distance, you could see an outline of a being but it’s footsteps were bright orange. Like the thing leading you to the first marker. To the obstacle that ultimately led to your friend’s death. You both tried to run but the ground beneath you buckled as the footsteps started running towards the both of you. You spotted the rope bridge off to the side and grabbed Mark as he tried to orientate himself. You scrambled onto the rickety bridge, head swimming from the initial fear of the creature and the physical collapse of the ground you both were on. Your foot screamed out in agony and shot sharp bullets of pain so you can slow down and mend it. There was no time for that!

“That is a god damn skull rock!” Did Mark seriously split up with you? Oh no! A hiss behind you made you quickly forget about Mark as you scurried off the rickety bridge and ran for whatever will put distance between you and that thing! You could hear Mark’s voice somewhere off in the distance but it was muffled by the wind. Exhaustion tore at your ligaments, your pack now seemed ten times heavier than normal, and this was not a good time to be by yourself.

You slowed down to a crawl, the pain getting to you. You hissed at the feeling of pain pounding in your ankle, becoming a sharp stab whenever you tried to put pressure on it. Snow had managed to find its way into your boot but you couldn’t complain, it worked as a makeshift ice pack although it wouldn’t be of much use if you broke your ankle. You took a clump of snow and shoved it into your left boot, trying to catch your breath.

Your lungs were scorched with the lack of oxygen, tasting the copper feeling of blood, and trying to get your racing heart down to a semi-decent pace. The voice of your therapist rang through your ears, “Whenever you get anxiety remember the seven, eight, four technique.”

‘Alright,’ you mentally encouraged, you started the inhale, ‘1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.’ You held your breath, ‘1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.’ You exhaled and softly whispered, “1…2...-”

**GRRRHISSSSSS!!**

Terror leaped at your throat as something hot was touching your back, and was that the smell of sulfur? You dashed forward as something whooshed over your head and the hissing continued. There was an orange glow illuminating at your feet and you doubled the speed, running faster than you can ever recall! You chanced a look behind you to find a wall of orange fog rapidly chasing you.

You lost your footing and fell off the cliff, sliding head first down the mountainside. For little children, this would be fun but not when something of evil origins is trying to kill you! You slid and rolled down until you reached the bottom, finding yourself on a mountain path. A faint light seemed to be up ahead. Cautiously, you limped up the mountain path, tears prickling down your cheeks. It was becoming too much! The creatures, the running, the carrying, and the worst thought to cross your mind was being utterly alone.

(F/N) was dead and gone, her presence would’ve made this situation a little bit better as she could’ve been by your side when you got separated from Mark. Guilt started building in the pit of your stomach. You should’ve had a better grip on his jacket and helped him onto the bridge. Now you didn’t have the compass or map to help you find out where Mark would probably head next. All you had was this journal tucked against your chest inside your coat. No noise was heard except for your painfully hobbled footsteps. You reached the top of the road and found a campsite over to the left, tucked off from the road. The green tent looked quite roomy but devoid of any signs of life although there was a campfire blazing happily as though expecting visitors.

You hurriedly dove into the tent, planning to rest here for a while. Hopefully Mark had this area marked off on his map. Hopefully. You dropped you gear and softly tugged your boot off, groaning with pain as you observed your ankle. It didn’t help since you had little to no medical skills. You checked the front pocket of your pack and fished out a first aid kit. You opened it with no hesitation to find bandages and aspirin waiting at the top as though they know that they were going to be used for the first part of this nightmare. You popped two aspirin in your mouth and dry swallowed, gagging on them as they slowly went down into your stomach. Next you grabbed the bandages and looked around for anything that can be used as a splint.

“Oh sweet! Can I hide in here?” It’s Mark! He entered looking quite winded, body reeking of sulfur. He dropped face first into the tent, probably not noticing you. Mark was panting wildly, his back rising and falling incredibly fast. It took a while but he finally seemed to even out his breathing and looked up.

“(Y/N)!” He happily exclaimed, wrapping both arms around you and squeezed like a kid hugs a teddy bear. Butterflies flew around in your gut at this exchange, a blush settling on your cheeks. After a while, Mark pulled back and looked down at your sock covered foot.

“What’s wrong with it?”

“I don’t know,” you confessed as you gingerly tugged your sock off, revealing your bare foot, “I hurt it when we got separated.” Mark let his pack fall to the ground and he grabbed your foot, right above the ankle. You squeezed your eyelids shut in anticipation as Mark started to touch certain areas, probably knowing the difference between sprained or broken.

“You just twisted your ankle.”

“Are you sure?”

“It’s not swelling so yeah I’m pretty sure. If it was broken, your foot would be facing a different direction and your sprained foot would just be swollen.” He grabbed the bandages out of your hand and tucked it back into the first-aid kit.

“Oh! I have something for you!” Mark pulled out folded pieces of paper from his coat pocket and handed them to you, your bare hands touching for a second before you yanked them back. His hands were nice and warm but you did have a job.

“Those two pages are from an explorer on the original trip and their professor who stayed back.” You grabbed the journal out from your jacket and unfolded the pieces of paper, tucking them in between the spine of the book before closing it and tucking it back. You looked at Mark, “I don’t think I can carry my pack anymore.”

“Don’t worry about it, I had the same thoughts too. I think we should just worry about the compass, map, and first aid kit.”

“What about food and water?”

“We’ll probably find ourselves back in a nearby village like where we had first started out at after we get through this hellhole.” You didn’t want to argue about that right now. You were exhausted and in pain.

“We need to move. I have a feeling that orange fog was just the beginning of something very nasty!” Mark had to deal with it too! Obviously, this thing was after the both of you. You were going to blame the golden hiker as he was always around when something bad was about to happen or encounter something creepy. You groaned, “Can we rest for a little longer? Please?”

“No, but I swear the next time we go to a calm area like this, we’ll go and rest. Not exactly safe from whatever the hell those things are.” With a nod, you put your boot on, your mittens on, and carried the first aid kit while Mark peeked outside of the tent.

“That was weird.”

“What?”

“The orange mist or whatever you want to call it. I guess we’re fine then.” He disappeared outside and you joined him, the wind slapped you as hard as it could, making it more unpleasant to be out in these subzero temperatures. You both go off to the left, the right was where you came from so it’d be unwise to go back to the orange fog. Your boots crunched through the ice and snow with Mark taking the lead to yet another cave.

Caves were officially a bad idea as every single cave you’ve encountered so far has resulted in unpleasant surprises such as collapses and whatever those creatures are.

“Looks like a cult lives here or something.” You looked to what Mark was talking to and there was a shrine with candles decorating the area where a skull was elevated. You winced as your shoes stepped into the frozen water barely skimming the top of your foot. Mark looked unaffected. He must be one powerhouse of determination if it doesn’t even phase him when it comes to cults and freezing water.

A bit further down there’s a bridge large enough for the both of you to cross and you did just that. A couple left turns before the voice returned once again.

 _You think you are significant_.

“I think I do!” Mark replied in his sarcastic voice. You cracked a tiny smile. Seems like whenever Mark back-talks the voice, it made you feel more confident. The voice seemed to ignore Mark’s response as it continued, _That you will…uncover the truth for everyone to see. So you can point the finger at the monster._

Monster? Those things that have been attacking you and Mark? Or is it referencing to something else?

“I have no idea what’s going on.” You confessed, Mark looked at you and continued forward, yelling back, “EXPLAIN YOURSELF!”

_First take a look in the mirror._

“I can’t do that! I’m too handsome.” You giggled at Mark and as you walked forward so you walked in step with one another, Mark wrapped his arm around our waist. He flashed a smile at you before reaching what looked like a page stuck to a stalagmite. Mark plucked it and skimmed the contents before handing the page to you.

“Pretty much talks about nuclear reactors and the possibility of uranium being mined in these mountains.” Orange footprints caught your eye again. You pointed it out to Mark and he grabbed your hand, “This way!” You went around the monster like before. Your foot didn’t seem as painful as it was what felt like a few hours ago. You had no watch and the area seemed like you were trapped in perpetual darkness so time seemed irrelevant here.

An inner sanctum was the next destination as there were candles lining the cave in a glow of sinister orange. The main shrine had a picture of a beautiful lady posed wearing what looked like fur around her neck. A hiss spooked Mark enough to jump on top of the makeshift shrine, “AAAAAH!! Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! I know you’re around here somewhere!” You looked down to find a page encased in a nest as though the page was supposed to represent Jesus in a manger.

“Uh Mark-”

“Not now! Got to find that page!” Mark dashed off into the cave system shouting about some pages, dodging the monsters. All you could do was sit at the shrine and wait for Mark to come back to his senses.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm doing everything in one sitting and it took me three hours to write this chapter!


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